The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-09-22
THE CITY'S HIGHWAYS.
WHAT ALDERMAN THOMAS SAYS
ABOUT THEM.

OF the Cfty'S Money Goes EVERY
Twelve Months-A Very Satisfactory
Showing.
As there has been manifested some curl
osity regarding the work done by
the Street Department of this city,
Alderman ID. r. Thomas, Chairman of the
Street and Lane Committee, was seen yes
terday and asked concerning the work done
this year.
1t will take some time to tell,n said the
Alderman, with a smile. ''We have been
pretty busy all the time and have accom-
plished a good deal of work However, if
you want it I'll give you the points as
quickly as possible. | expect to be very
busy the next few days and it is very lucky
you caught me disengaged now" After
consulting some of his papers Mr.. Thomas
gave the following in substances;
NEW SEWERS LAID.
The fiscal year of the city is from Janu-
airy to January. The first work done this
year was the laying OF an 1S-inch sewer
pipe from Drayton sire ct through Taylor
to Whitaker thence to Gordon street lane
in one direction. and Macon street in the
other, some 1. l40 feet of pipe all told.
There are nine sewer traps connected with
this section. This enabled the committee to
pave a continuous roadway on Whitaker
street without the usual trunks and depres-
sions in the roadway for cross drainage
Then another 16-inch sewer was laid COM
mencing at Duffy street up to Gwinnett
and through to Whitaker, with seven
sewer traps, the main piping being $50
feet long This sewer was to reduce
the ponds of water in that section, prepare
tory to paving. A large amount of paving
has been done on Whitaker street, extended
as far as New Houston, save short section
near Bolton street, where there is an old
side track of the City and Suburban rail
road, which the Sanitary Committee 'efuse
to have moved till cold weather sets in.
PUTTING DOWN PAVEMENT.
Two Thousand three hundred yards of
Graywacke paving blocks have been laid on
Bay street, from Farm street to the Ogee-
chez canal bridge This replaced the old
plank road which was always requiring
attention and expenditures for keeping it in
passable condition. Since then the force
has entirely relaid the paving of Bay street
from the Tyler press to East Broad street.
including Gas House hill. There is now no
material on hand sufficient for further new
work, and as the season is SO late the men
are occupied principally in patching Ran
dolph, East Broad, River and Bay streets
anu Jne SLIPS IIOIl Day W TlNbi SbitbtS
This is work that requires time, and is cost
ly, too. Bay street west Of Wadley street
has been filled in, and the committee pro-
pose to bridge Musgrove creek. This will
be done to accommodate farmers and others
going towards the water works, as River
street is already crowded with the business
from the Ocean Steamship Companys
wharves, This new road vii. prove more
convenient, and will greatly relieve the
hot bo 1,Y,,,I Hoo. hac
been ordered for relaying a large portion of
the streets west of the canal
THE PARKS AND SQUARES
During this time, also, much atten
ton has been given to the parks and squares
in efforts to keep alive the young trees A
deal of work has been done in this direction,
| watering trees, etc, and, by unremitting
attention, most of the trees planted this year
| and last were saved. The season has been
| so dry that the extra work of watering
| them was alone quite an item of expense.
| Then to all the above ado the work of
| keeping up the repairs on sewers and
| streets, which are two very expensive items
| For instance, the Whitaker street sewer
bursted three times last summer, and as it
was very deep, the breaks were expensive
| ones to repair. Then there is large
amount of minor work which requires CON
slant attention, and unexpected expensive
items are continually turning up. A good
| deal of work has been done also in repair
| ing foot bridges, crossings, sidewalks, etc.
| and is being done all the while Another
| part of the departments work which re-
| quires good share of attention are the
parks All, of course, are kept in order,
| moved, etc, but other improvements are
gradually going on. Troup, Calhoun and
Reynolds squares have all been neatly
graded and the sidewalks made solid with
gas lime. In regard to this latter sub
stance, however, Mr. Thomas said that the
present methods of purifying at the gas
| house left little gas lime for the city's
use, so that what is secured is now used
solely for the repairing Of certain walks
and in Forsyth Place
LAYING NEW WALKS.
The repairs and improvements
in several squares are now
progressing promisingly. A walk is now
| being laid through Lafayette square, on the
eastern side of Abercorn street. Two Others
are being paved, running north and south
in Chatham square, and two in Oglethorpe
square, north and south. The contract has
been let for two walks through Madison
square They will be paved with red brick
and laid with Peirce's patent stone curb
Other squares viii receive attention as soon
as possible The time of the department
for the next two months will be occupied in
| paving portions of Bull and Congress streets.
In the park the walks are being repaired
| and great deal of attention has been paid
to the trees and plants. The appropriations
! for this branch of the city's work is under
three heads or divisions The sums appro.
i priated for this years work, We're streets
! and lanes, $52, 50) paving streets, S10,0
parks and squares, $1,000. OF the first
/ amount probably 90 per cent. is already ex.
! hausted. Six thousand five hundred dollars
was for work done last year in paving, etc.
west Of the Ogeechee canal. OF the paving
! fund, about 81, 900 is already expended, and
! out of the balance comes the money for the
! further paving of Bail and Congress streets
| Only about one-half now remains of the
/ park and squares fund, and the remainder
will he used up on the squares needing it the
| most.
Altogether the department employs four
teen teams and some sixty men, including
! the drivers. A great deal of the work is
done by contract besides and when an un-
usual amount of work is on hand extra men
are employed.
Mr. Thomas says that there has been an
immense amount Of work done by the de
partment so far this year, and he is we'll sat
isfied with the results. In good time, by
| going slow, he says he hopes TO have all the
principal streets as well paved as the Bay.
Advice to Mothers.
Mrs. Winslow's Soothing Syrup should
always be used when children are cutting
| Il 10, fro,. at